Quit smoking: 6 products to strike out nicotine cravings

Smoking causes an addiction that can be tough to shake. This is due to nicotine, the addictive ingredient in tobacco.

Thankfully, there are resources that can help you quit smoking. This will lower your risk of tobacco-related cancers, heart disease, stroke and lung disease.

Ahead, we discuss six tobacco-cessation products available in the United States.

Prescription options that can help you quit

Some products used to quit smoking need a doctor’s prescription.

Varenicline 

Medications prescribed by your doctor are very effective quitting tools. Varenicline, formerly produced as Chantix, is the most effective single product to help you quit smoking. Varenicline is a medication taken in pill-form. It cuts cravings by acting like nicotine on the brain without actually containing any. 

Varenicline works in two ways. First, it binds to and blocks the brain’s nicotine receptors. This makes smoking a cigarette feel less satisfying. Second, it partially stimulates the brain’s nicotine receptors. This helps reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings. 

Potential side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vivid dreams
• Constipation
• Intestinal gas

Bupropion

Bupropion, also known as Wellbutrin or Zyban, is a medication taken as a pill. Like Varenicline, it doesn’t contain nicotine. It works by blocking nicotine receptors in your brain.

Potential side effects include:

• Insomnia
• Dry mouth
• Mild hand tremors

Nicotine nasal spray

Nicotine nasal spray is similar in size and shape to allergy or congestion nasal sprays but is used very differently. Instead of inhaling the spray into the sinus cavities, users let the spray sit in their nostril, allowing nicotine to be absorbed into the lining of the nose and into the bloodstream.

Potential side effects include:

• Nasal irritation 
• Runny nose
• Watery eyes

Over-the-counter options

Nicotine replacement therapy provides nicotine without the harmful components of cigarettes. This can help you curb cravings and wean off tobacco with fewer withdrawal side effects. 

You can buy the following nicotine replacement therapies over-the-counter at most pharmacies.

Nicotine patches

Nicotine patches are usually 3 to 4 inches wide and typically made of latex. These patches provide a steady dose of nicotine. They are applied to the upper body, such as the arm, shoulder or back, and changed once a day. Nicotine patches come in three doses — 7 mg, 14 mg, 21 mg — which can be reduced over time.

A hypoallergenic, latex-free brand name version of the patch is also sold for those with latex allergies. 

Potential side effects include:

• Skin redness under the patch
• Allergy or rash
• Sleep problems or unusual dreams 
• Racing heartbeat

Lozenges

Candy-like lozenges provide a dose of nicotine while they dissolve. They also keep your mouth busy, which can reduce the temptation to smoke.

Lozenges are available in 2 mg and 4 mg doses and come in mini and regular sizes. For mini lozenges, it may take between 10 and 15 minutes to feel the effect. For regular-sized lozenges, it may take between 15 and 20 minutes to feel the effect. 

Potential side effects include:

• Nausea
• Hiccups

Nicotine gum 

To use nicotine gum correctly, follow the ‘chew and park’ technique. Chew the gum for about 5 to 10 seconds or until you feel the effects of nicotine — a tingling sensation. Next, move the gum and hold it between your teeth or between your teeth and cheek where it will stay ‘parked’ for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat the process, chewing then parking the gum in different parts of your mouth for a total of 20 to 30 minutes. 

Nicotine gum starts to work within 10 to 15 minutes if used correctly. It comes in different flavors and 2 and 4 mg doses.

Potential side effects include:

• Hiccups 
• Nausea
• May stick to dentures

Can e-cigarettes or vapes be used to quit smoking?

E-cigarettes are considered a harm reduction tool for those who have made serious attempts to quit smoking and were not able to quit, or those who are not interested in quitting.

While e-cigarettes can help you quit smoking cigarettes, they still contain nicotine. Being a 'dual user’ — that is, someone who smokes both cigarettes and e-cigarettes — is more harmful than using either alone.

Here are three additional reasons e-cigarettes aren’t recommended as a first-line strategy to help smokers quit.

• While considered less harmful than cigarettes, the exact long-term effects and harm from e-cigarette use is unknown.
• E-cigarettes lead to continued dependence on nicotine. 
• E-cigarette users have the potential to return to smoking.

How to choose the product that is right for you

Talk to your health care providers about your plans to quit. Working with your care team is especially important if you’re considering medication, using more than one nicotine replacement product or experiencing other health problems.

Therapy or counseling in combination with the medications or nicotine replacement products on this list is highly recommended and doubles the success rate compared with one or the other. Free counseling is offered through the National Institutes of Health Quitline and the Texas Tobacco Quitline. 

Remember, quitting smoking offers significant health benefits — no matter how long you’ve been smoking. Within hours of quitting smoking or tobacco use, your circulation starts improving. And your lung function starts improving within weeks of quitting. Keep it up, and within one year, your heart disease risk is 50% less; by five years, the risk of lung cancer is 50% less.

Learn more about smoking cessation studies at MD Anderson.